This week, ESPN+ is set to stream a couple of gripping international fight cards live, exclusively for fans in the U.S. The Butlervs Rolls card streaming LIVE from Montreal, Canada, THURSDAY at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – Villar-Noriega bill streaming LIVE from Managua, Nicaragua, FRIDAY at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
Kicking off the excitement, the Casino de Montreal in Montreal, Canada, will host a fierce showdown on Thursday. Steven Butler will clash with Steve Rolls in a ten-round headline fight.
The Butler-Rolls fight, along with the preliminary fights, will be streamed starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Butler, with a record of 33-4-1 and 27 KOs, has been in the pro scene for a decade. He aimed for the WBA middleweight world title against Ryota Murata back in December 2019 but faced a hiccup in his comeback fight versus Jose de Jesus Macias in 2021. However, he bounced back, notching a four-fight win streak, highlighted by a knockout of Mark DeLuca in the second round. Last May, Butler faced a defeat in his quest for the WBO title against Janibek Alimkhanuly but recently secured a ninth-round TKO victory over Ivan Alvarez. Rolls (22-3, 12 KOs) has proven himself against top talents like Edgar Berlanga and Austin Williams after a setback against the renowned Gennadiy Golovkin in June 2019.
Also streaming from Montreal:
- Osleys Iglesias versus Marcelo Coceres in a 10-round super middleweight fight
- Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse takes on Abril Vidal for the vacant WBC Heavyweight World Title over 10 rounds
- Arthur Biyarslanov faces Cristian Palma in an 8-round junior welterweight bout
- Luis Santana squares off against Emiliano Martin Garcia in an 8-round lightweight fight
- Mehmet Unal fights Facundo Galovar in an 8-round light heavyweight battle
- Jhon Orobio meets Cristian Rodrigo Gonzalez in a 6-round lightweight fight
- Wilkens Mathieu goes up against Patrik Fiala in a 6-round super middleweight contest
The action heats up this Friday as Azael Villar from Panama steps into the ring against the unbeaten Jairo Noriega from Spain for a 12-round headline fight at the Pharaoh’s Casino in Managua, Nicaragua.
The main event featuring Villar against Noriega, along with the rest of the fights on the card, will be streamed live, kicking off the action at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Villar, with a record of 20 wins, 2 losses, and 4 draws, including 15 knockouts, grabbed his first regional belt in October 2021 by outpointing David Martinez. Following this, he secured two knockout wins, but then faced a setback against Ayumu Hanada from Japan in January 2023. Last August, the 29-year-old managed a split draw against Gerardo Zapata and recently scored a win on points over Ricardo Astuvilca in a 10-round bout in December. Noriega, holding a perfect record of 13 wins with 3 knockouts, steps out of Spain for the first time, putting his unbeaten streak on the line after an eight-round win against Gerson Larios last June.
Also streaming live from Managua, the undercard features:
- Eveling Ortega (6 wins, 5 losses, 2 KOs) vs. Yanissa Castrellon (4 wins, 1 loss), in an 8-round light flyweight bout.
- Harvin Aguirre (9 wins, no losses, 6 KOs) vs. Josue Alvarado (4 wins, 1 loss, 1 KO), in an 8-round welterweight bout.
- Gerardo Sanchez (9 wins, 1 loss, 5 KOs) vs. Edwin Cano (11 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 2 KOs), in an 8-round light flyweight bout.
- Michael Carmona (4 wins, no losses, 2 KOs) vs. Tomas Villar (3 wins, 1 loss), in a 6-round minimumweight bout.